Rechnitz is an internationally acclaimed play by Austrian Nobel Laureate Elfriede Jelinek. It responds to the recent uncovering of the orgiastic massacre of 180 Hungarian Jews during a party thrown by Countess Thyssen Batthyany at Rechnitz Castle in Austria in March 1945.

The play is a modern “text for speaking” written for performer/messengers who mix up the story with language play and haunting stage imagery; in this way they release the undercurrents of this provocative subject, leaving us with a more uncompromising vision than a straight retelling of events.

A new semester is upon us and in full swing; with that in mind, our weekly email (in digest form) has resumed. I’ll generally send out the email every Sunday with a listing of upcoming events and opportunities related to German Studies at ECU. (Ausnahmsweise bekommen Sie diese E-mail erst heute.)

Several film showings are listed below; more are on the way, as is a schedule of German Club meetings and events.
Students, if you have ideas for activities or films you would like to help plan, please contact me (Prof. Smith) or another faculty member in German. Our programs exist for and because of you!
Herzliche Grüße
David Smith, Associate Professor of German (smithdav@ecu.edu).
***

APPLICATION DEADLINE–Study in Berlin!
30/31 January
The application deadline for the Summer Study Abroad program in Berlin is Jan. 30th, with the $300 deposit due on Jan. 31st.
Don’t let questions about course credits or possible funding deter you from applying. Contact Prof. Jones (jonessu@ecu.edu) today to discuss options!»» Application Link

This week is International Education week on campus; I hope you will review the attached information and plan to attend as your schedule permits. German Club is also offering a game day once again (all learner levels are welcome), and we are co-sponsoring a big event on Wednesday that will close out our series on “The Art of Peaceful Revolution: The Berlin Wall and Beyond.” More information is below and attached to this email. With best wishes,
David Smith, Associate Professor

Events This Week

–Tuesday, 18 Nov, 2-3pm
German Club: Game day – all levels welcome!
Lounge in the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures (Third Floor Bate)

–Wednesday, 19 Nov, 5:30pm (Hendrix Theater)
The Art of Peaceful Revolution: Can music/art change the world?
Welcome by Dr. Susanne Lenné Jones, Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures, ECU and Lecture by Dr. Amy Carr-Richardson, School of Music, ECU: “Compositional Process in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony.”
Film Screening: Following the Ninth: In the Footsteps of Beethoven’s Final Symphony, (Kerry Candaele, 2013). The acclaimed film follows the Ninth Symphony to cultures around the world, including Germany, China and Chile, telling the story of the music’s impact in countries at critical turning points in history.
Panel Discussion: “Can music change the world? The Arts and People’s Protests.” Scholars from different disciplines in the arts and humanities discuss the role of art in social change.
Info: Dr. Susan Pearce (pearces@ecu.edu or 252.328.2544) or Dr. Susanne Lenné Jones (jonessu@ecu.edu or 252.737.2390)

FOR STUDENTS
Any students interested in the Study Abroad in Berlin can come to the Study Abroad Fair on Nov. 18th. It’s from 1pm-4pm on the 2nd floor of Joyner library.
If you would like to secure a spot for the Study in Berlin program, please submit your application and a $300 deposit as soon as possible, as spaces are filling.»» More information and application

GIVE TO GERMAN. Help support German Studies at ECU by making a tax-deductible contribution today.Donate online

Then click on “Click here to choose the designation(s) for your gift”
In the window that opens, click on the + next to “Foreign Language”, then on “German Studies Priority Fund”.
Enter the amount you wish to donate and your payment information.
The students served by our program thank you for your support.

Dear students and German enthusiasts,
The celebrations never end, the learning is endless, and culture points beckon!

Now the ECU German Program is getting ready to celebrate St. Martin’s Day, which traditionally is observed on Nov 11. On this day, German children craft their own paper lanterns and then carry them, lit with a candle, through the streets, singing songs that praise St. Martin’s generosity and kindness. We will do the same!

Please join us for our annual Laternenfest on Wednesday, Nov. 12, from 4pm – onset of darkness and help German-speaking children or your own children create a lantern or craft your very own!

If you would like to join us, drop Dr. Jensen a line at jensenb@ecu.edu. You will receive an acknowledgement of your email, the address to her house (where the event is held this year), and an idea of what kind of materials you can gather to make your “Laterne” stand out! Please indicate in your email whether you can offer a ride or need one. If you would like to add an additional item to your resume (and an extra culture point), let Dr Jensen know whether you would like to serve on the ECU German Culture Outreach Committee. This entails arriving an hour early and helping set up and/or staying a bit longer to aid in clean-up.

Be kind to the event organizers and help us plan: Absolute deadline to respond to Dr Jensen: Monday, Nov. 10, at 8 pm.

ECU German students together with students from Construction Management erected an effigy of the Berlin Wall and then tore it down later in remembrance of the 25th Anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall. Their purpose was to teach the history of the Cold War and how it affected Germany, as well as how events in Germany affected the United States.

GREENVILLE, N.C. (Oct. 28, 2014) J.Y. Joyner Library at East Carolina University hosted the fourth annual Joyner Library/Academic Affairs Faculty Author Book Awards on October 24. This event honored 35 faculty in ECU Academic Affairs Colleges and Schools: College of Business, College of Education, College of Fine Arts and Communication, College of Health and Human Performance, College of Human Ecology, and the Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences.

“Publishing a scholarly book is a significant professional achievement for university faculty. We want to recognize our faculty authors and congratulate them on their accomplishments. The Library is an important partner in the creation of scholarly output so it’s a natural fit for us to host such an event,” says Jan Lewis, interim dean of Academic Library Services.

Dr. Ron Mitchelson, interim provost and senior vice chancellor of Academic Affairs remarked, “the book remains the signature event in an academic’s life and we admire our authors for their creativity and endurance.”

Prof. Jones’ book fills a void in contemporary scholarship by providing an in-depth analyses of three major German-language writers and their literary reflections of the Holocaust: Monika Maron’s Pawels Briefe; and W.G. Sebald’s Die Ausgewanderten and Austerlitz. It examines important insights into the limits of memory on the effects of this historical catastrophe on those born afterwards and the blending of text and image in the search for truth and authenticity.